Mack Manhunt - Day 5

Police were wading through hundreds of tips Friday as they searched for a wealthy Reno pawn shop owner charged with killing his estranged wife and accused of the sniper shooting of the judge handling their divorce. Detectives working in 24-hour shifts have been assisted by theFBI since a federal warrant was issued for Darren Mack of Reno onThursday, Reno Police Lt. Ron Donnelly said. Investigators were following "hundreds and hundreds of SecretWitness reports from Des Moines to Miami into the wee hours of themorning," he said. "One of these tips is going to be a goodone." Authorities have searched for Mack since Monday when a snipershot and wounded Washoe County Family Court Judge Chuck Weller, whowas standing in his chambers. Mack, 45, was charged the next daywith murder in the stabbing death of Charla Mack, 39. "I heard the shattering of glass, then I heard a thump and ...a scream," said Judge Charles McGee, who was the first to reachWeller from his office next door. "The bailiffs came in with guns drawn and basically threw medown on the floor. Then we all crawled down and met Judge Weller,who for some reason had stood back up and was demanding a cellphone so he could call his wife and get her out of the house. Hewas the calmest person there," McGee told reporters at a newsconference Friday. Weller later provided paramedics with Mack'sname. "It appears to have been a very methodical, thought-out seriesof events," said Jim Denton, a spokesman for Weller, who indicatedhe had spoken with investigators. Weller, who was being treated Friday at an undisclosed locationunder guard, had been warned in a call from a member of a father'sadvocacy group weeks ago that "an angry man" named Darren Mackwas launching a campaign to ruin Weller's career, in part throughanonymous Internet blogs, Denton said. McGee said threats are not uncommon for family court judges. "We all have kind of a list of people that we think are alittle off their rocker," he said. "But I think Judge Weller isone of the most fearless people I've seen. He's up thereidentifying this guy within minutes of the shooting." Mack's cousin, Jeffrey Donner, said he received a phone callfrom Mack shortly after the shooting, saying, "'If anythinghappens to me, please make sure that the true story about theinjustices that are going on in that courtroom get out to the mediaand the public."' Donner said his cousin had complained for the past year aboutWeller, who was handling Mack's divorce case, and had said thejudge was biased and made decisions before he heard all the facts. "He was just obsessed with bringing this judge down. Notphysically. I never heard anything like that, but by reputation,"Donner said. A custody hearing in the Macks' divorce case was scheduledbefore Weller in September. Charla Mack filed for divorce in 2005,and a mutual restraining order was signed the same year, accordingto court records. McGee said that 10 years ago he handled part of Mack's firstdivorce, "which was also a donnybrook." He said judge's are reluctant to share concerns about thestability people with cases pending before them. "It's kind of a lonely job. We're not supposed to even talkwith each other about it," McGee said. "If I go in (and say) `This guy is a complete hot head, I thinkhe's going to go off' or something like that, it portrays a bias.And so it's Russian Roulette." On the other hand, McGee said he once ruled in a case with a manhe thought was "very calm" but later killed his girlfriend andannounced "he was on the way to Reno to kill me and his ex-wife"before police cornered him and he committed suicide. Mack, 45, was co-owner of a pawn shop in Reno until he turnedover control in 2005 to his mother, co-owner Joan Mack, a lawyerfor Palace Jewelry & Loan Co. Inc. said. Mack earned more than $500,000 a year and had a net worth of$9.4 million as recently as 2004, according to court documents. Shawn Meador, Charla Mack's lawyer, said in a court filing thatMack ignored Weller's order in May 2005 to pay $10,000 a month intemporary alimony payments. Weller found him in contempt of court,but Mack filed for personal bankruptcy in August to avoid paying,according to the filing. Investigators think Mack may have fled to California based onhis contact with Donner, who lives in Moraga, Calif., and becausehis company credit card was used at the Sacramento airport Monday.

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